


The Night Before

by queenfanfiction



Series: writerinadrawer round 4 [2]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Community: writerinadrawer, F/M, M/M, WriterInADrawer 4.02, prompt!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-14
Updated: 2010-06-14
Packaged: 2017-10-10 03:05:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/94778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenfanfiction/pseuds/queenfanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ianto is woken in the night by a noise neither strange nor unfamiliar.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Night Before

**Author's Note:**

> Written for WIAD 4.02. If you are interested in this contest, please visit http://community.livejournal.com/writerinadrawer.

Ianto is roused from half-formed dreams of Canary Wharf by a muffled thumping that resonates through the concrete foundation of the Hub. Spooned up behind him on the narrow cot they share is Jack, lightly snoring and for once asleep. When Ianto flips back the covers and eases himself out of bed, Jack only mumbles something unintelligible before clutching at Ianto's now-unoccupied pillow and drifting back to sleep.

Ianto glides through darkened corridors (he could walk the familiar path in his sleep if he wanted) until he reaches the source of the noise that woke him. Lisa is pounding on the floor of her storage room with one metal leg as best as she can, which can only mean her medications are wearing off again; she wouldn't have risked being discovered otherwise. "How's the pain?" he asks, even as he starts to replace her IV drip with a fresh pack.

"_Nique ta mere,_ Ianto," Lisa grunts through clenched teeth. Ianto inwardly winces; if Lisa was swearing in French, it must be excruciating. How long had he been asleep (_with Jack,_ his conscience helpfully supplies) while Lisa had been suffering alone? "I just—it hurts so much, sometimes," she says now to no one in particular. "I just want it to all go away, make it stop—make _everything_ stop..."

Ianto leans forward and kisses his girlfriend on the lips, only then letting the tears fall (always careful not to let his salty water corrode her metal casing). "Dr. Tanizaki's coming tomorrow," he whispers into her ear. "Once he helps us, you'll never be in pain again, Lisa."

Agonized brown eyes search out blue ones. "Promise?"

Ianto takes Lisa's limp hand in his own and squeezes tightly. "I promise."

**Author's Note:**

> _Nique ta mere_: Loosely, "Fuck your mother." A French expletive of the highest order (no, really?).


End file.
